The book includes detailed information about the discovery of tropical African Gladiolus species, the eymology of their names and a complete account of their synonyms, the morphology and anatomy of the plants, their geographical distributions and habitats, their relationships, and other aspects of their biology, including ecology and ethnobotany. The book is extensively illustrated with 41 color plates, 61 drawings by the internationally recognized botanist and botanical artist, John C. Manning, and 85 distribution maps.